Transit Development Plan (TDP)

The Transit Development Plan (TDP) is the strategic guide for public transportation in Lake County over the next five years. The TDP includes an evaluation of existing services, a review of demographic and travel behavior characteristics of the service area, a summary of local transit policies, the development of proposed transit enhancements, and the preparation of a five-year financial plan.

Florida Statutes mandate the preparation of a Transit Development Plan for all transit systems that receive Block Grants from the State of Florida. A TDP shall comply with the following elements, at a minimum:

The TDP shall identify and list community goals and policies with respect to transportation and land use, in general, and specifically to transit service.

The TDP shall identify and quantify the community’s need for transit service using demographic, socio-economic, land use, transportation, and transit data, as appropriate. There shall be an opportunity for the public to express the need for transit service improvements, such as, but not limited to, the Citizens Advisory Committee and workshops.

The TDP shall include an analysis of the services currently provided in the community by public and private transit service providers, in terms of quality and quantity of service. The TDP shall present an analysis of any variation between the need identified and the service provided, and present alternative methods of addressing any deficiencies (and the costs and benefits of each). The process for selecting an alternative for implementation shall include an opportunity for public participation.

The TDP shall present a five-year program for implementing the alternative selected. The five-year program shall include: maps indicating areas served and the type and level of service to be provided; a monitoring program to track performance measures; a five year financial plan listing operating and capital expenses and anticipated revenues by source; and a list of projects or services for which funding has not been identified. The last three years of the program may be presented with less detail than the first two years.

The TDP shall not be in conflict with the approved local government comprehensive plan and the comprehensive Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).

The TDP is to be reviewed, revised as necessary, and adopted annually and submitted to the Department by July 1 of each year. The annual review and revision may be limited to refinements and extensions of the five-year program. Major updates, to be completed every third year, shall include all elements of a TDP as defined in this rule.